


Friend to a Façade

by ChangeTheCircumstances



Series: The Sins of an Empire [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Dark, Empress!Padme, Evil!Padme, Other, part of my everyone is evil au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-11
Updated: 2016-05-11
Packaged: 2018-06-07 21:30:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6825085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChangeTheCircumstances/pseuds/ChangeTheCircumstances
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mon Mothma slowly begins to suspect that having Padmé and Bail ruling the new Empire wasn't such a good idea. Finally, Mothma confronts Padmé on this and learns the truth about her 'friend' of many years.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Friend to a Façade

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of my everything is evil au and the first part is kind of necessary to fully understand this though it is its own story. Thanks for anyone who decides to read this :)

Several months had passed since the creation of the Empire and at the time, Mon Mothma had approved of it. Sometimes freedoms had to be given up in the cases of emergencies and she didn’t trust anyone more than Padmé and Bail. At least…she’d _thought_ that.

Now there was a creeping feeling that came with every meeting, public and private. The war finally seemed to be progressing, they finally were getting an upper hand on the Separatists, but Mon Mothma couldn’t smile at that. She couldn’t talk joyously like any actual success was occurring. And when Padmé had ordered the blockade on that planet, a sick feeling had grown in Mothma’s stomach. The planet, Separatist or not, had already been broken enough. There was no reason to keep them from imports of food and goods except out of cruelty and to send a message that the Empire would not tolerate any kind of uprising.

Mothma would have thought they would have wanted to send a message of peace and comradery. She thought that with Sheev Palpatine gone, that true diplomacy would occur. That’s what the Republic should have done from the beginning yet had grown corrupted under Palpatine. She’d thought that with her two good friends in charge, peace could occur. But the decrease in conflicts and fighting was not because of peace but fear.

And with each victory Mothma found her heart breaking, just piece by piece.

She had tried getting Padmé or Bail alone but hadn’t succeeded. Even if they weren’t meeting with someone else, then they were with their bodyguard Vader and Mothma honestly didn’t feel comfortable near him. She felt like one wrong word and she’d be dead.

But eventually, after weeks and weeks of trying, she managed to get Padmé about as alone as was possible. Padmé wasn’t meeting anyone and Vader was off with Bail. Instead, the woman was tending to her two month old twins and Mothma figured that the timing was perfect.

When Mothma approached her, Padmé didn’t seem shocked by the intrusion into her private suite. It was almost like she’d been expecting it. Mothma’s skin unexpectedly crawled at the thought as she approached her.

As way of an opening, Mothma said, “Padmé, I’ve been meaning to talk with you or Bail.”

“I know.”

“Then…why haven’t you?” questioned Mothma. “I’ve tried everything. Even setting up meetings with your secretary. Which you’ve always cancelled on or brought Vader with you.”

“He’s my bodyguard. Is it that shocking that I keep him near?” asked Padmé innocently.

“But no one knows anything about him. Who he is, where he came from, not even what his face looks like because of that awful mask. How can you expect me to talk about incredibly sensitive information around him like he’s someone I can trust?” asked Mothma desperately.

“I trust him. Isn’t that enough?”

Mothma let out a tired sigh, one which her soul felt. “Once…once it was. I trusted you with my whole heart Padmé but now…”

“Nothing has changed,” Padmé said simply, turning her focus back to her twins. She acted as if the conversation couldn’t be detrimental. Or perhaps she already knew it was and didn’t care.

Shaking her head, Mothma had to keep herself from crying out as she responded, “Everything has changed. Can’t you see that? You used to only call forth conflict if it was absolutely necessary. And even then you’d rather do it with words than an army!”

“It’s _become_ necessary,” Padmé replied coolly.

“People have-no they are dying because of the choices you and Bail are making. It’s not right.”

“Who is to say what’s right and what’s not?”

Mothma froze at the words. “The Padmé I know,” she said softly, “would never ask that.”

“You’re right,” Padmé replied.

She stood up and walked over to Mothma. She stood a few inches shorter yet her presence quickly seemed to dwarf the room. Mothma had been privy to that feeling before but it had once been a gentle, gorgeous feeling. Now Mothma had the distinct sense that she should be afraid for her life.

“The Padmé that you knew would never have let innocents die,” continued Padmé. “She was also weak and foolish and a façade.”

“What—”

Mothma was cut short as Padmé suddenly slapped her across the face. Her cheek stung from the sudden impact as shock froze her to the ground.

“You know, I really am tiring of this,” Padmé said with something akin to a growl. “You really are idiotic Mon Mothma. It’s a wonder that you’ve made it as far as you have, politically speaking at least. I don’t think I’ve met anyone so blind.”

“How dare you—”

“How dare I?” interrupted Padmé. “It is you who has come to my home, in front of my children, and have started shouting your accusations and your broken heart and your confusion over all this. It’s not my fault that you can’t accept the truth.”

“You’re wrong,” Mothma replied as she suddenly took a step back. “I can see the truth. Bright and clear in front of me. Power has twisted your mind. You’ve become a monster Padmé. You and Bail.”

It was difficult to say what such words would cause. Would Padmé get physical again? Yell at her? Agree? Fight her? Call in guards? Mon Mothma didn’t know. She had no idea who this woman was. Yet she certainly didn’t expect the laughter that peeled from Padmé’s mouth, sharp as knives.

“Become a monster? I haven’t become anything. This is me.”

Mothma felt the blood draining from her face. She suspected she was as white as her clothes.

“Ah, so you finally get it I see. Power has not made me anything. I have been a monster all along. It is only now that I can show it,” Padmé replied before grinning, all teeth.

“This was all planned,” Mon Mothma said in horror. “Wasn’t it?”

Padmé just continued to grin, madness dancing in her eyes.

“I trusted you. I thought you were my friend. I—”

“I was never your friend Mon. You were friends with a carefully crafted mask and seeing as I’ve gotten what I’ve wanted, that mask is done with.” Padmé then turned and walked back to her babies, signaling an end to their conversation.

Mothma wasn’t done though and said, “You can’t get away with this Padmé. Democracy will—”

“Democracy is dead,” interrupted Padmé. Her tone was harsh, showing that she was done with their discussion. “And as for getting away with it? I already have.”

“Padmé—”

“You shall address me as Empress or your majesty. Is that clear?”

When Mothma didn’t respond right away, Padmé repeated the question.

With a shaking voice and a sick stomach, Mothma murmured, “Yes…Empress.”

“Good. Now leave before I have you forcibly removed.”

Mothma slowly backed out of the room, not turning around as it felt like she’d be signing her own death certificate by doing so. Once out of Padmé’s sight though, she ran as fast as she could. Nothing seemed to come after her but she continued to run, now knowing that it was of the utmost urgency that something was done. The Empire would not be a temporary solution for war like Padmé and Bail claimed. It would become-was already becoming-a dictatorship that cared more about control and power than its people.

As the day on Coruscant slowly came to a close, Mon Mothma knew what she had to do. She had to destroy the Empire, to get rid of it and reestablish democracy before it was to late. She had to create a rebellion.


End file.
